"We are just getting started": Guangzhou champion Harriet Dart has former Wimbledon champion as mentor with 'top 30' prediction given
WTA
Harriet Dart was one of the true success stories of the latter half of the season with the Brit who has long been in the tennis doldrums managing to win the Guangzhou title defeating Lili Tagger 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The 30-year-old returned back to the top 100 and is looking better in her quest to qualify for the Australian Open main draw which runs from January 11-31.
But she has a very familiar face in her corner in the form of 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli who has been working almost as a coach/mentor since the start of the year and she believes it was only a matter of time before she managed to do what she has this week.
"I thought Harriet could do extremely well after the US Open because everything we were working on in her game was starting to come to life more and more," said Bartoli to Sky Sports.
"Now, to tell you she could win a title, it was not my obsession. For me, as a coach, that's not how I function. Everything has to follow a certain process of improvements. Once those improvements are made, that's when the results start to come. That's my whole philosophy behind my coaching system.
"We had a very strong week of training in Dubai, and when I hugged her at the end of her last practice with me before she left for Osaka, I told her: 'You are playing amazing tennis, believe in yourself and keep fighting!'
"She did exactly that and so much more."
How Dart collaboration started
She discussed how the collaboration came about and said that they finally managed to get a time block to spend time together and work on her game and that Guangzhou shows what she is doing is working.
"When she contacted me earlier this year to start a collaboration, I knew exactly what I would like her to change and improve. The problem we were both facing is the lack of time we could actually properly spend together to work on her game," said the former French Open semi-finalist and world No 7.
"We started to properly do that only when we were in Florida before Cincinnati, and since then, it has been incredibly satisfying to see how quickly Harriet has been improving, taking things on board, committed fully to them and applying them in matches.
"Seeing her now regularly serving several aces per match, moving forward, taking the ball early and going to an open stance more often, and charging the net.
"She won the Guangzhou tournament on a serve winner... it says a lot!"
Bartoli also said that she cried when she won the tournament and that she sees her ceiling being at least top 30. "She is an incredible fast learner once you have her trust," said Bartoli. "There is never a problem to explain my theories and my thoughts behind a change I am asking her to do.
"She is extremely coachable and more importantly she is always giving 100 per cent in practice, which is for me a massive quality.
"I pushed her beyond her limits in practice, but she equally pushed herself beyond her own limits."
"I am feeling incredibly proud of her after her win. The week she had, the number of matches she had to win in three sets is a true testimony to the relentless competitor she is.
"I cried when she won on a serve winner because I know how much time we have spent on that shot, and for her to finish on a match point like that speaks volumes.
"The future will be really bright for Harriet. We are just getting started because there is a lot I still want to add to her game.
"She can absolutely reach the top 30."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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